For the May 2024 art and natural history masterclass, we welcomed to our Coconut Crab Studio Iva Nikolaeva, an Honours student at the University of Sydney to talk about and paint with us the Gloomy Octopus (Octopus tetricus).
The Gloomy Octopus thrives in rocky intertidal shores and rock pools along the Australian coast. Solitary and nocturnal, it’s a vital predator, adept at camouflaging itself through intricate colour-changing abilities, seamlessly blending into its surroundings for efficient hunting. With increasing urbanisation and over-collection of intertidal ecosystem, Iva’s work aims to preserve this vital habitat for this charismatic octopus species.
Iva’s focus lies in studying the ecology of intertidal rocky shores, aiming to unravel how positive interactions between species contribute to the formation of valuable habitats that define these ecosystems. As she spends much of her time in the field at Kioloa (NSW), she has encountered many “Gloomies” and was able to share so many stories with the class.
Through collaboration and drawing inspiration from various established marine conservation projects such as Operation Crayweed, which focuses on restoring lost seaweed habitats, and Living Seawalls, which uses 3D printing to enhance urbanised intertidal shores, Iva’s research aims to extend the practical understanding of the roles valuable habitat-forming species play in intertidal systems. This understanding is crucial for directing targeted conservation efforts aimed at preserving these unique and diverse intertidal marine ecosystems.
